It’s a new week of Arizona high school football and teams are solidifying their starts to the 2026 season. This week’s Best in the West sweeps across Peoria and Deer Valley and takes a look at this week’s Fiesta Bowl High School Showdown on the west side, introducing the Bill Riddle Classic!

Peoria 1-0’s Square Off

A 4A-5A matchup between two Week 1 victors square off in Peoria.

The Raymond S. Kellis Cougars take their 28-22 Week 1 win over Barry Goldwater on the road to battle sister school, Peoria. Junior quarterback Brodee Lermon had a stellar season opener, totaling three passing touchdowns with his 301 passing yards. He was able to heavily lean on fellow senior Michael Porter Jr. who caught two touchdown passes and recorded 172 receiving yards while tacking on a two-yard touchdown run. Junior LB/LS, Abel Regalado, led RSK defensively with 15 total tackles. The Cougars have already matched their win total from one year ago and now have all eyes building momentum before their home opener next week against Paradise Valley.

Meanwhile, Peoria head coach Jason Golden revisits the program that he helped start in their inaugural season. Golden served as head coach of Raymond S. Kellis from 2006-2013. The Panthers eye their first 2-0 start since 2023 after a dominant 63-19 victory over Barry Goldwater. PHS’ standout star to open the season was running back Christian Zarate. The junior racked up 174 rushing yards on just six carries and converted that into three touchdowns. Defensively, senior safety Shaheen Jones contributed a score as well with a 32-yard pick-six. Peoria was rolling in all three phases as senior Dontay Tyson and junior Ryan Henderson both took kickoff returns to the end zone, and both tallied receiving touchdowns as well.

This will be the eighth all-time meeting between these two Peoria District schools. Peoria has won this game the past four consecutive years and has only lost to RSK once in program history.

Deer Valley Rivalry Returns

For the 33rd time, two of the oldest schools in the Deer Valley Unified School District square off. The rivalry began in 1989, as the four-year-old BGHS Bulldogs earned a 10-0 victory. Following a two-year hiatus of the rivalry, Deer Valley and Barry Goldwater reunited on the gridiron one year ago as Deer Valley was victorious in a 38-34 thriller.

The DVHS Skyhawks will look to make it back-to-back victories against their rivals this Friday night. Even in a 63-19 loss to Peoria, the defense was able to find opportunities to shine. Seniors Tristyn Cabrera and Cash Smith were both able to snag interceptions and Smith led the Panthers with 7 total tackles. Offensively, senior running back Bryson Keith was the bell cow, accumulating a team-leading 73 rushing yards and one of the Skyhawks TDs.

Even in Barry Goldwater’s 28-22 loss to Kellis, running back Chad Hutchinson was able to make a statement. The junior electrified the Bulldogs offense with 128 rushing yards and both of the team’s touchdowns, making up nearly half of BGHS’ 274 total yards of offense. Junior Jorge Gastelum also helped keep Goldwater in the game with a two-point conversion. Senior defensive back, Samaj Llamb, was also able to pick off an pass.

Deer Valley owns the all-time record in the rivalry, 22-9.

The Inaugural Bill Riddle Classic on CW 7 Arizona

Thursday night will mark the first chapter in “The Bill Riddle Classic.” While mostly behind the scenes, Bill Riddle and his wife Janie have been monumental in the growth and support of Arizona High School Football. For this Thursday’s Fiesta Bowl High School Football Showdown between Mesa and Sandra Day O’Connor, Bill will be honored with a new tradition in Arizona High School Football: The Bill Riddle Classic.

This will be the first of three consecutive weeks that the Fiesta Bowl High School Football Showdown takes place west of the I-17. After a 49-37 victory over Desert Vista, SDO is set for a home opener to remember on live TV.

Not only did their senior star Jeremy Adeyanju tally 176 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns, but sophomore Colton Fahndrich showcased his talents with 166 rushing yards on the night. Fellow sophomore Jayden Wingler picked off a pass while junior Ashton Childers earned 4.5 tackles for loss. The defense will be tested against a stout Mesa offense that was held to just 17 rushing yards and was intercepted three times. Expect the Mesa Jackrabbits to come out of the gates aggressive on Thursday night after over 350 yards of offensive from their receiving room.

Coverage begins on CW 7 Arizona at 6:30 p.m. with a kickoff time of 7:00 p.m. on Sept. 3.

Be sure to head out and support your local teams this Friday night. Also, keep an eye on Sports360AZ for all of our high school football content, including the Fiesta Bowl High School Showdown on CW 7, Bleacher Talk, Zone Read, Recruiting Roundup, and more.

Join the conversation on X using #FridayNight360AZ and follow @Sports360AZ to keep up with the action from across the state on Friday nights!

The post Best in the West 2026: Sept. 4 Spotlight first appeared on Sports360AZ.





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